The Pittsburgh Steelers have the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL in Mike Tomlin, but things have been rocky as of late. The fan base has clearly expressed its displeasure with the coach still being around as his job has routinely been called for after each of the last several seasons. Pittsburgh has had an up and down campaign in 2025 thus far that has forced tensions to rise, despite the fact that the franchise might still win the AFC North and punch its ticket into the postseason. Many fans still want a split with Tomlin however, but it is unlikely to happen after 2025.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (left) and defensive captain Cam Heyward (right) walk together during a road game against the Buffalo Bills.
Tomlin is under contract through the 2027 season, although the organization does have an option to decide on in the final year of his deal. The option for 2027 must be picked up or declined by March 1st during the 2026 offseason, and it was a part of the extension that he signed back in 2024. People wondered if Tomlin would get another extension back in 2024, and he wound up getting one from the organization, which frustrated a good portion of the fan base. Insider Gerry Dulac was asked about this during his recent mailbag for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday.
"I've never quite understood the urgency to offer an extension when I thought it was perfectly within professional reason to wait a little during this eight-year playoff-win drought," Dulac wrote. "Then again, what it tells you is they are fully committed to Mike Tomlin, regardless."
2024 was the final year of Tomlin's previous contract, so the coach would have been doing his job during the 2024 season without any guarantee that he would be back in 2025. There were plenty of questions being asked about this as the 2023 season came to a close, as the coach even walked off during the press conference following the team's loss to the Buffalo Bills during the Wild Card Round when he was asked about his future with the team.
Matt Durisko / AP photo
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin walks out onto the snowy field during their Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills at the end of the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh would have had a way out of Tomlin's contract had the organization not signed him to that extension back in 2024. If he has a good season, he signs a new deal. If he doesn't, the organization can part ways with the coach without feeling any sort of financial burden -- which is what has been said has held the organization back from firing some coaches. Art Rooney II reportedly does not want to pay coaches to not coach his team, which is what he does when someone is fired while still under contract.
The Steelers are now financially tied to Tomlin until at least the end of the 2026 season, maybe even the 2027 season if the franchise picks up the option on that third year of the deal. It should be agreed upon that the coach should not see another extension in Pittsburgh unless some major postseason success is stumbled upon over the next couple of seasons.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Could Break Playoff Drought In 2025
If the season were to end today, the Steelers would win the AFC North and clinch a spot in the postseason. If the team can hold on and win the division, the franchise would be hosting its first playoff game since the 2020 season. Home field advantage in the first round would be huge, and it could lead to the team snapping the postseason win drought as there is so much parity in the NFL in 2025.
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The three Wild Card teams Pittsburgh might play would likely be the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, or the Bills. The Bills and Texans would be difficult matchups, but a game against the Chargers in Pittsburgh is interesting.
Have you been a fan of Tomlin's extensions over the years? Let us know in the comments below!
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